ATHENS — Beer and opera don’t usually go
together unless of course you add a costume designer inspired by
diva Maria Callas.
New York-based Greek costume art designer
Nikos Floros sliced 20,000 soda and beer cans into strips and
used them to create shoes and costumes inspired by the famous
operas in which the late singer starred for an art exhibit in
Athens.
The flowing, puffy gowns of silver, red and
green, with collars and tassels, all created with tightly woven
strips of aluminum can fool the eye into thinking they’re
fabric.
One rippling silver gown from soft drink cans
was inspired by the opera Tosca, another by La Traviata and both
were made with beer cans and using beer caps as tassels.
"I wanted to do something with consumable
products, because I believe our modern temples today are
supermarkets and malls, where you feel you exist, in other
words, I consume therefore I exist," said Floros.
The designer’s works follow in the tradition
of Pop Art, associating fashion, art and commercialization and
reminiscent of Andy Warhol and his Campbell’s soup can designs.
Some of the pieces took a year to complete,
as Floros sat for more than 10 hours a day cutting cans into
strips, weaving them together by hand and attaching them with
staples.
It took more than five years to complete the
14 piece collection, with the artist receiving raised eyebrows
from restaurant owners where he went to gather boxes of empty
cans, a large portion of which he bought himself.
One of his most memorable moments was at John
F. Kennedy airport in New York when he was flying to Greece for
the exhibition and underwent a detailed security check.
"When they saw the works they couldn’t
understand what these things were, I explained they were
sculptures from aluminum Coke cans but they didn’t believe me,"
he said.
The costumes were inspired by the garments
worn by Callas in La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, Tosca,
Madame Butterfly.
Floros’ exhibition is part of a campaign to
raise funds for a new opera house and Maria Callas Academy of
Lyrical Arts in Athens. One design has already been sold to a
Greek museum.
His art form has gained notoriety and awards
in Europe and New York, and his Red Elizabeth outfit – made of
soft drink cans and lids inspired by the lavish gowns of Queen
Elizabeth I – is one of his award winning creations.
Visitors said they were shocked and surprised
that the gowns were made of aluminum cans.
"I think anyone would be overwhelmed," said 38-year old
visitor Medusa at the exhibition, "Its incredibly tedious and
meticulous work." – Reuters
